Hagar
by JMarie26
Summary: This is my very first fan fic. I wrote this short story just a few days ago but I've always had the idea. I think Hagar's story is very interesting, though the actual story is not that long and is not very detailed. I know this isn't a very good summary,


HAGAR

Hagar sat by the river Nile staring in the water. She always loved being here; the water so clear and cool enough to make even the hottest afternoons less warm. Usually she's happy at the Nile, sitting alone. But today was a sad day; for this would be her last time sitting peacefully. She was given to Abram and Sarai, although they cause quite a stir with Pharaoh by lying to him about Sarai being Abram's wife. When his officials saw Sarai, they praised her to Pharaoh and she was sent to his palace. Hagar remembered the look on Sarai's face as she was being escorted to Pharaoh's palace. She quickly ran to Abram and asked,

"Why does your sister have a look of worry on her face? She should be happy that my Uncle wants to have her as his wife."

Abram then revealed the truth to Hagar and she was shocked. Then he swore her to secrecy that she would not say a word to no one. As a result of this, Abram got sheep, cattle, male and female donkeys, camels, and menservants and maidservants, she included in the maidservants.

However, God did strike Pharaoh and his household with a serious disease. Pharaoh had no idea why so he asked Abram. Abram had no choice but to tell the truth. Pharaoh was so shocked and frightened that he quickly gave Sarai back to Abram and told him to leave Egypt as soon as possible.

Today was that day.

"Hagar! Hagar where are you child, we are leaving now," she heard Sarai call her.

Hagar sighed heavily and kissed the Nile shore. _Maybe someday I'll see my home again, _she thought to herself. _Or at least the generations I'll probably have._

After much walking, camping, separation, and battling they arrived back in Canaan. There they remained for ten years. Hagar eventually grew accustomed to their way of life, but more importantly she grew closer to Abram and Sarai. They have always been kind and loving towards her and she reciprocated that love back to them. There were days on their journeys that she would talk to them for hours, asking them about their ancestors. As they remained in Canaan, while she was mostly with Sarai, she made sure she did all her chores and tasks before Abram arrived home so she would be able to talk to him. She loved him very much, like a daughter to a father. It was all she ever thought Abram to be. So when Sarai came to her with the announcement, she couldn't believe it.

"Me? Be Abram's wife. But mistress, I only think of your husband as a father, which is all I have ever thought of him."

"Hagar, since the day that I was born, I knew I would be a woman of barren means. I can not have children, yet the Almighty has promised Abram ten years ago that we will have a son that will bring forth as many descendents as there are stars in the sky. And I want nothing more than to have a son to build these generations on. Hagar, you are my only hope. I really _need_ you to do this for me."

"Mistress, please, I could not think of such a thing. Maybe the Almighty has some other plans of bringing Abram's descendents-,"

"What other plans would those be Hagar?" Sarai snapped at her. "Do you know?"

Hagar lowered her head. "No ma'am, I do not know, but there has to be some other way."

"Hagar, there is no other way. Now I have asked you nicely, but now, now I command you to do this. No more complaints just do it! I will speak with Abram when he returns, but I know he will agree with me." She got up and left the tent.

She couldn't believe what she heard. Sarai had never had a reason to yell at her, she always did what she was told. But this, bear a son with Abram, this was something she wasn't sure she _could _do. To her, to marry and then lay with Abram, never crossed her mind; she couldn't love him like that. But she had no choice, Sarai _commanded_ it done, and if she knew Abram, he _would _agree.

She waited in the tent nervously. She felt sick and wanted to run away, run away back to Egypt, run to her Uncle and tell him the horrendous idea. He would come to her rescue as he did when her parents died. He didn't hesitate to take the 5 year old in and raise her as his own. She desperately missed Egypt. And as her mind finished its last thought, Abram came into the tent.

He looked at her sadly and said, "I know how you feel Hagar, and believe me I understand. But it has been ten years since God has promised me a son, and Sarai is barren, as you know. This is the only way we feel that my descendents will come into being."

She swallowed dryly and said softly, "I understand."

When it started, she sobbed a little. But as the night went on, she actually started to feel secure in his arms. He was very gentle with her and often asked if she was okay, which she always replied that she was. Climax arose and the sensation of it excited her. She let out a small shrill cry and her mind went back to Egypt. She was bathing in the Nile when she saw him. He was lying on the shore and looking at her bathe. She smiled at him and afterwards they struck up a conversation. He was a little older than her, but she thought him extremely handsome. After that day, they became inseparable. Eventually, he asked her Uncle for her hand in marriage. Pharaoh, however, hated the boy's father, so they were forced to part ways. She cried for him for 7 days.

When her mind came back to the current time, Abram was lying alongside her fast asleep. She was greatly relieved that that memory took her away from this. Hagar turned on her side and went to sleep.

As her belly began to swell, Hagar despised Sarai. She was very much still angry for being forced to do such an act. However she was starting to greatly love the life that was growing inside her.

"Hagar, I need you to help me wash these clothes," Sarai asked her one day.

"I am not helping you, I am pregnant and need to be resting," she said sharply.

"I can not wash these clothes by myself Hagar! Help me!"

Hagar got up and said, "I have already done your dirty work! Get someone else!" She turned and stormed off.

Later that night, Sarai complained to Abram about Hagar.

"Why have you done this to me Abram? She treats me like I'm nothing because she is carrying your child."

Abram simply said to her, "She is your maidservant. You deal with it."

The next couple of days, Sarai dealt harshly with Hagar. When she couldn't deal with the treatment, Hagar ran away.

She didn't even care if she didn't reach Egypt, as long as she was away from them and their hypocritical ways. She was resting at a spring in the desert when the angel of the Lord came to her.

"What are you doing out here Hagar, and just where are you going?" he asked her.

"Somewhere away from them. I am running away from Sarai and Abram."

The angel said, "Hagar, go back to Sarai and submit to her."

Hagar eyes opened wide. "Go back to her! After the way she treated me? No way, I would rather me and this child parish in the desert before I go back to those hypocrites!"

"Hagar, you are the maidservant and Sarai is your mistress. You can not get out of order, even if you are carrying the child of Abram."

Hagar began to cry. She knew the angel of the Lord was right, but she was too hurt to admit it.

"Hagar, you do not want Abram to not see his child do you?"

"Of course not." She sighed heavily and said, "I will go back and submit to my mistress, but only for Abram and our child's sake."

The angel of the Lord said, "Do this and your descendents will be too numerous to count. You are going to have a son Hagar and you are to name him Ishmael for your misery. He will be quite a wild one with his hand against everyone and everyone against him, living in hostility toward all his brothers."

Hagar smiled. "Well I will know where he will get that from. Thank you God, for seeing me and my misery. I will never forget this day."

She turned and went back to Canaan.

A few months later, Hagar gave birth to a son and Abram called him Ishmael. She was too tired from the birth to join in the celebration that night, but afterwards Abram came to see her.

"I truly thank you Hagar for giving me this precious gift that I have waited so long for. Rest assured that I will _never _forget this." He kissed her and Ishmael and left the tent. Sarai then came in and picked up Ishmael saying, "My son, my son."

This made Hagar extremely furious, yet she was still too tired to argue so she said to herself, _You did not give birth, nor go the pains of giving birth. As long as I live I will make sure he knows who his real mother is!_

Hagar was back serving Sarai, and each day was like a sharp pain that wouldn't stop. She made sure that everyone knew that Ishmael was her son, without even recognizing that Hagar had him. But when it was time to feed her son, Hagar would whisper to him and sing songs from Egypt that where sung to her by her mother when she was a baby.

"Always, always remember my sweet precious one that the breast you are feeding from is your true mother. The other woman is a caretaker while I work. As you get older I will make sure you know the difference."

Many years past, Ishmael grew up and he always recognized Hagar as his mother. This made Sarah very angry but what could she do? She kept her feelings to herself and never made any attempt to change what was. Hagar was his mother and she accepted that, as long as his seed would eventually produce Abram's descendents. However, an announcement from Abram would alter the course of everyone's life.

He came home after having a long conversation with the Lord and told Sarai.

"My wife, God Almighty has spoken with me and everything has changed."

"What do you mean Abram?" she asked him.

"I mean everything. Even our names have changed. I am no longer Abram, but Abraham, the father of many nations. And your name is no longer Sarai but Sarah, a princess. But the biggest change is this: God's promise to give _us _a son still stands. He will come from your very womb, and guess when? Next year, Isaac, _our _son will be born next year. God will establish his covenant with him, an everlasting covenant! Now we need not worry about Ishmael, God will make him into a great nation. He will be blessed with twelve rulers from his seed. But the covenant rests on Isaac, our own son. And yes you are well past child-bearing years and I am well past raising children, but this time Sarah, I believe Him. With my whole heart I believe him."

Sarah was speechless. Abraham kissed her and said, "I will give you a moment to take this all in. I have to take Ishmael and all the other males to get circumcised to establish God's covenant with man."

All she could do was nod.

Hagar took her son to Abraham and made her request.

""Are you not going to bless your first born? We need to know what he will get from you!"

Abraham looked at his son. "Come sit Ishmael." Ishmael sat in his father's lap and Abraham put his hand on the top of Ishmael's head.

"Ishmael, my first-born, I do bless you, but I can not give the inheritance that is required. The Lord God Almighty has promised Sarah and me that _we _will have a son and the inheritance is his for God will establish his covenant with him. But know this, you will be a great nation and twelve rulers will come from your very seed."

Hagar was furious. So much so that she could hardly speak. So she violently grabbed Ishmael from his father's lap and stormed off.

Just as God promised, the next year Sarah gave birth to Isaac. The entire household of Abraham rejoiced for the new son of God's covenant. Hagar and Ishmael were in their tent and she was fuming. She had a feeling that God would not break his promises, yet Abram and Sarai were too doubtful to believe it. She wanted to scream and cry, break everything in her tent, grabbed Ishmael and their things and run away. This time she would not let the angel of the Lord sway her to come back. She would run all the way to Egypt, back to her Uncle, and put everything behind her and continue to raise Ishmael by herself.

When the time came for Isaac to be weaned, Abraham had a great feast. Sarah and Hagar were looking at the boys and they saw that Ishmael was mocking his brother. Hagar laughed but Sarah was angry.

"How can you sit there and laugh at what _your _son is doing to _my _son?"

"Oh come on Sarah, they are just playing."

"That is not what I call playing," she said as she stood up and took Isaac away from Ishmael. She went to Abraham and said, "I want them gone!"

"Who?" he asked.

"That slave woman and her son. I do not want him to share in my son's inheritance."

Abraham was saddened by this for he loved Ishmael dearly. But God said to him, "Do not be saddened about your son. You wife is right for Isaac offspring will be reckoned. However, Ishmael will be a great nation for he is also your offspring." Abraham obeyed God and would send Hagar and Ishmael away.

Early the next morning, Abraham gave them provisions and said to Hagar, "God will take care of you as you journey. And no matter where you are, I will always love you and Ishmael, my son."

After all the years, Hagar was finally able to tell Sarah and Abraham exactly what was on her mind.

"God promised you, He promised you! And now, you have your promise. I trusted the both of you; I believed everything you both told me, I loved you both like parents even though I was a maidservant! But you took advantage of me because you could not believe God for one small thing."

"Hagar please-," Abraham tried to speak bur Hagar put up her hand signaling him to remain quiet.

"No Abraham, it is my turn to talk. The both of you spit in my son's face. And about Ishmael mocking Isaac? Since the day he was born, you have mocked Ishmael and me. This is why I am so thankful that you are allowing me to leave. I will no longer be caught up in your games and I will no longer have to listen to your lies and be part of your hypocritical ways!"

She took Ishmael by the hand and left Canaan for good.

She wandered through the desert of Beersheba until their water ran out. Abraham only gave them one skin of water and a little food. Ishmael had gotten so weak that she had to carry him. When she could go no longer, she put him down under a bush and went and sat nearby. She couldn't watch her son die and she sat and cried. God heard Ishmael crying and the angel of the Lord called to Hagar and said, "Do not be weary Hagar. God is with your son and he has heard his cry. Go get him for I will make him a great nation."

God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She quickly filled up the skin and ran back to Ishmael and he drank.

They walked until they reached the desert of Paran. There, they saw a tent and fire.

"Do you think anyone lives there mother?" Ishmael asked her.

"There is only one way to find out son."

They walked to the tent and Hagar took a look inside. She saw no one so they sat and ate the last of their food.

Caleb came back from his daily hunt for food. He was a skilled hunter and archer, but his family, who were from Egypt consisted of scribes and scholars to Pharaoh. He chose not to follow in his father's and brother's footsteps, which cause him to be exiled from them. He came to the desert of Paran at 19 years old and has been completely self-sufficient since then.

He came into his tent and was startled to see the woman and her son sleeping there. He was going to wake them and send them away when he saw by the looks of their sandals that they have already traveled a long way. He decided to allow them to sleep and would send them away the next day.

Hagar woke up a few hours later and walked out of the tent. She was shocked to see the man and said, "I am terribly sorry. We saw no one here earlier. I will get my son and we will leave right away."

"It is alright madam," he said to her. "You and your son can stay tonight. The tent is big enough for all of us."

She kindly thanked him and went back into the tent.

The next day, Hagar and Ishmael arose and came out of the tent. Caleb was already preparing food and they were starving. As they ate, Hagar looked at Caleb and his face started to look very familiar to her.

He noticed her looking at him and asked, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes everything is fine, just, I feel like I know you, from somewhere."

"I do not believe we've met. I have been out in this desert since the age of 19. Maybe we have met in Egypt. That is where I am from."

"So am I," Hagar replied.

Caleb smiled brightly. "Hagar."

She looked at him for a moment and then finally recognized him.

"Caleb," she said.

They both jumped up and fell into each other's arms. The man she always loved, always dreamed of, cried for 7 whole days for was back in her life.

"Oh my goodness, what are you doing all the way out here?" she asked him.

"After we were forced to separate, I could no longer stand being in Egypt or following in my father's and brother's footsteps. You remember me telling you how I longed for the wide-open spaces, of hunting and learning archery? Well I decided to follow my heart, much to the arguments my father and brothers made. I belong out here, and I have never been happier."

"I am very glad you followed your heart Caleb. I wish I had the opportunity like you did, and maybe I would not be so bitter and angry right now at my former masters."

"What did they do to you?" he asked.

Hagar then began to tell Caleb everything. By the time she finished, he was just as enraged as she was.

"That is exactly why I never trusted those two. First they lied to your Uncle, and then they had the nerve to force you to have a son for them that they no longer wanted? How sick are they?" he yelled.

"They are not sick Caleb, just old. They wanted a son so badly and God promised them that they would have one, and that he would come from Sarah's womb. But they did not believe the Almighty and so forced me to do this. I knew God would not break his promise to them, but they did not listen to me. Now they have their promised son from her very womb. And because of the inheritance that is his, Abraham had to let me and Ishmael go."

"But that doe not make what they did right Hagar!"

"Of course not Caleb, which is why I am glad he let us go. I promise you if we would have stayed there, we would have been treated far worse."

Caleb calmed down and said, "Yes, I suppose you would have. Well I am surely relieved that you found my tent and I recognized you. I would have sent you and your son back to where you came from." He kissed her on the cheek and they continued eating.

As the years past, Hagar and Caleb rekindled what was started so long ago. Also, he taught Ishmael how to hunt and archery. They grew close as father and son, in which case Caleb asked him for his mother's hand in marriage. Ishmael agreed and Caleb and Hagar consummated their marriage while Ishmael was out hunting. She became pregnant and they had a daughter named Leah.

When both felt that Ishmael was ready, Hagar went back to Egypt. She visited her Uncle's tomb and paid her respects to him. Then she went to her favorite spot near the Nile and sat. The water was still clear and cool. The place was still peaceful, so she stayed there for a least an hour.

Suddenly, she looked up and saw a very beautiful girl washing clothes. She called to her, "Young lady, are you a slave to anyone?"

The young girl answered, "No, I am washing these clothes for my mother."

Hagar then went to her and asked to speak with her parents. After the long conversation, the girl's parents agreed to allow their daughter to be come Ishmael's wife. Hagar brought the girl back and she and Ishmael were married.

Three more wives later and just as God promised, Ishmael had twelve sons. His half-sister Leah also was married and she had four sons and three daughters. Caleb and Hagar never had any more children, for their hands were already full with the grandchildren. And as Caleb grew older, Ishmael and his brother-in-law, Leah's husband took their places as the leaders of the family.

Eventually, Caleb died and the family grieved. Hagar again cried for 7 whole days for the loss of her husband, and her first true love. Afterwards, she started to think about Sarah and Abraham. She wondered if they were dead and also if Isaac was a great nation like Ishmael. One day, she decided and told her sons that she wanted to travel to Canaan to see her masters one last time. She also wanted Ishmael to see his brother. After all the years of God blessing her, she wanted to ask them for forgiveness and reconcile with them. The next day, they set off for Canaan.

When they finally reached their destination, a man recognized Hagar and led them to Abraham's tent. She and Ishmael went in and they saw Abraham. He was well on in years and looked a little blind. They also saw Isaac.

Abraham looked up a said, "Who is it that has come into my tent?"

"It is I Abraham, Hagar, and your son Ishmael."

"Hagar, Ishmael." He said. "How the days have past that I have longed to see the both of you once again." He lifted up his arms and Hagar fell into them and began to cry.

They talked about all that happened, the wives and husbands, the grandchildren, the deaths of Caleb and Sarah, everything.

Afterwards, Hagar and Abraham were left alone.

Abraham spoke first, "Hagar, I want to ask you to forgive me and Sarah for what we put you through. We should have trusted God the first time, yet we were too doubtful and a little afraid in our old age. Yet I am grateful that God has been with my son and has blessed him significantly."

Hagar agreed, "I want you to forgive me Abraham. I should not have let this anger turn into bitterness. God has taken good care of us and there was no reason to be mad at the both of you for so long. I just wish I would have realized this long before Sarah passed. I will always love her and I will always love you Abraham." She kissed him and he smiled.

"I will always love you too Hagar and I know if Sarah were here she would say the same thing."

They stayed until Abraham took his last breath. They buried him next to Sarah and grieved.

Finally, the brothers parted their tribes and went their separate ways. Hagar remained with her son until her death. She was buried right next to Abraham and Sarah, her God-given parents on earth and for all eternity.


End file.
